MOCHA CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE CROWN

Mocha Cake with Chocolate Crown image

Provided by Sandra Lee

Categories dessert

Time 4h35m

Yield 12 to 16 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

Butter and flour, for pans
1 1/3 cups hot water
1/2 cup instant coffee crystals
1 box (18.25-ounces) devil's food cake mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1/4 cup instant coffee crystals
2 tablespoons hot water
1 container (8-ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 container (16-ounces) classic chocolate fudge frosting
Parchment paper
1 package (12-ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels, plus more for decorating
1 1/2 cups white morsels

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cake Preparation: Butter and flour 2 (8-inch) round cake pans; set aside. Stir hot water and coffee crystals in large bowl until crystals dissolve. Add cake mix, oil, and eggs to coffee mixture. With an electric mixer, beat for 2 minutes, or until well blended. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans on cooling racks for 15 minutes. Invert cakes onto cooling racks and cool completely.
Filling and Frosting Preparation: Stir coffee crystals and hot water in medium bowl until crystals dissolve. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until cold. Fold whipped topping into cold coffee mixture. Then stir in chocolate fudge frosting just until blended; chill in the refrigerator. (This is the mocha cream.)
Cut each cake horizontally in half. Place top cake layer, cut side up, on a serving platter. Spread 1 cup mocha cream atop cake. Top with bottom cake layer, cut side down. Spread 1 cup of mocha cream over second cake layer. Repeat layering with third cake layer and mocha cream. Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Evenly spread the remaining mocha cream onto the cake until completely covered. Return to refrigerator.
Chocolate Crown Preparation: Draw 3 (6-inch) high crown designs over 3 (15-inch) long sheets of parchment paper. Cut out designs from parchment papers. Lay each crown parchment template on a large baking sheet. Melt chocolate morsels in a glass bowl in the microwave for 2 1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Repeat with white morsels. Using an off-set spatula, spread melted chocolate thickly over 1 side of 2 of the crown templates. Repeat with melted white morsels and remaining crown template. Arrange additional chocolate morsels decoratively on white crown. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until chocolate is set. Wrap 1 chocolate template around half of cake; carefully peel off paper. Wrap second chocolate crown around remaining half of cake; carefully peel off paper. Seal ends of crowns with a knife dipped in very hot water. Refrigerate cake until chocolate crown is completely firm. Wrap white crown, paper side inward, around a 5-inch bowl. Refrigerate until white crown is completely firm. Carefully peel paper from white crown. Place white crown atop cake.